First Day of School for Many

By Natalie Shepherd&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Mon 4:58 PM, Aug 25, 2003&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Mon 4:00 PM, May 02, 2005

Many school districts across Mid-Michigan started classes Monday. Here in Lansing, school administrators say things got off to a smooth start. The district is expecting 17,000 students to attend this year, slightly down from the 17,300 students the district had last year. And officials say they hope enrollment numbers don't decline too much, because the district's budget is based on its number of students.

Final enrollment numbers won't be known until the middle of next month, but Monday gave teachers a chance to take attendance and make an estimation of how many students they'll have. Before this week, the district was unsure how it would be affected by Schools of Choice.

Officials say there are always problems to iron out at the start of a new school year. District Spokesman Mark Mayes says there were several problems with bus routes, which are to be expected during the first week. Students don't know where their stop is and drivers are unfamiliar with students and the routes.

He also says staffing issues will need to be sorted out when enrollment numbers are known. He says teachers may need to move to schools where there are more students than expected.

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